News for the week of 21 Dec

Miyazaki Comes Out Of Retirement
The Japanese newspaper YUUKAN FUJI reported on 14 December that Miyazaki Hayao is back in the director's chair. This was revealed during Toho's press converence for their 2000 theatrical releases. The new movie is titled SEN TO CHIHIRO NO KAMIKAKUSHI [THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF SEN AND CHICHIRO], and will be released in Japanese theaters in the summer of 2001. The story is a fantasy about a ten-year-old girl, Chichiro, whose parents turned into pigs—and how she wanders into the universe of the gods and spirits to turn them back into humans. Miyazaki alluded to this project while on a recent tour of the United States to promote PRINCESS MONONOKE.

All CG MACROSS Project To Debut In 2000
Big West announced plans next year for MACROSS 3D, a tentatively titled new video project in computer animation. Studio Nue member and THE SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS co-creator Kawamori Shouji (MACROSS PLUS, THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE, VISION OF IHATOV: KENJI'S SPRING) will contribute the story concepts, mechanical designs, and executive direction. Popular Japanese CG artist and LightWave3D user SoneHACHI (VIRTUAL BEAUTY) will design the characters, while Studio Nue founder Miyatake Kazutaka (BRAVE RAIDEEN, DIRTY PAIR, AURA BATTLER DUNBINE) will once again collaborate on the mechanical and production designs. Mori Takeshi (OTAKU NO VIDEO, GUN SMITH CATS, MELTYLANCER) will direct the computer graphics studio GONZO (MELTYLANCER, BLUE SUBMARINE NO. 6) on the animation. This will be first animated MACROSS project entirely done with computer graphics. The story will center around the heroine Lauryn, a former soldier Redline, and a mysterious young girl named Karno.

Yang Returns To Lead With New Voice In GALACTIC HEROES SIDE STORIES
Tokuma Shoten will be releasing seven new monthly LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES SIDE STORIES (GINGA EIYUU DENSETSU GAIDEN) between this December and next June. Unlike the first SIDE STORIES released after the end of the main series, these volumes will feature Yang Wen-li in the lead role. Gouda Hozumi (ARMORED TROOPER VOTOMS' Chirico Cuvie, BLUE SUBMARINE NO. 6's Hayami Tetsu) is voicing Yang in the SIDE STORIES as the replacement for Tomiyama Kei. Tomiyama passed away in 1995 during the production of the original series. Ishiguro Noboru (THE SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS, MEGAZONE 23) once again works as chief director, and Madhouse (CARD CAPTOR SAKURA, SAKURA WARS) assists Artland (MACROSS, THE SUPER DIMENSION CENTURY ORGUSS) in the animation.

SAKURA WARS Expands With New Game, TV Series, Movie
Red Company and sponsor Sega Enterprises unveiled Sakura Project 2000, a multimedia wave of SAKURA WARS games, anime, and other related projects. SAKURA WARS (SAKURA TAISEN) is a popular love simulation and tactical combat which originated on the Sega Saturn. The center of the campaign is the fall-scheduled SAKURA WARS 3 game for the Sega Dreamcast. It will be the first installment in the series to feature a new main cast. The original cast will reprise the Hanagumi roles with a second video series (6 volumes beginning in December), a televison series, and a theatrical film. Other media plans include a fourth live musical, drama CDs, four deluxe artbooks (timed for each season of the year), two novel series, and a second Sakura Wars-only store.

Two New Characters To Debut In ESCAFLOWNE Movie
Sunrise and Kadokawa Shoten's NEWTYPE magazine revealed a new character for THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE THE MOVIE: A GIRL IN GAEA. The movie's self-contained story is based upon the 1996 Sunrise animated television series and is scheduled for the year 2000. The new character Sora will be a girl of mixed beast-people origin who serves under Folken. She summons the Japanese schoolgirl Hitomi to the fantasy world of Gaea by chanting a mysterious song. The ESCAFLOWNE movie is underwritten by a joint Japan-South Korea-United States group of sponsors. This past summer, Sunrise held an open audition call for another new character, a Dragon Slayers communication specialist named Ryuon.

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